We went to the AFI Silver theater (to watch 'The Way')and they had this promo of all the Hollywood bigwigs before the movie started and I found them all so irritating -- everyone of them voted for the idiot and will probably do it again.

oh, Happy New Year everybody! Hopefully we get the change we want in 2012.

At 11:30, we write down everything we didn't like about the old year, then tear up the paper and scatter it on the floor. We open the back door at 11:55, everyone takes a broom and yells "Get out, old year!!" as the pieces of paper are swept out the back door,

Then we run to the front door, open it wide and yell "Get in here, New Year!!" And with that the new year is swept in.

If Romney wins the nomination for the GOP, and he selects a great VP (who can bring rest of the GOP to form a strong coalition with independents, such as Jindal of LA or Christie of NJ), then that will be a havoc (major headache) for Obama, Biden, Reid. I mean, they will lose WH and Senate.

Thus, it is vital that Romney be the nominee. It is vital that Paul, Perry, and Newt are defeated, as early as humanly possible. Paul is a lunatic with bad/ugly writings. He should not even be in the competition, but we know GOP is full of lunatics. Newt is over-rated. Perry is still an infant in politics.

Romney is the best candidate we have got. He needs a good VP and we are back in business at the WH.

I'm staying in as I have ever since that one New Year's Eve when a 9mm slug dropped out of the sky landing at my feet and the following NY's Eve when I had to jump out of the path of a speeding car as I crossed the street on the way home.

New Year is only a convention. There is no fest more wothless o useless. It had sense when if fell on march and had a meaning. The spring was there and the winter , cold and hunger ended.But today is only a lame excuse for drink and sentimentality

We have little time left to celebrate. From The Canadian, "Canada's new socially progressive and cross-cultural national newspaper" comes this 2007 prediction:Over 4.5 Billion people could die from Global Warming-related causes by 2012. Hydrate hypothesis illuminates growing climate change alarm.

AP, if you've suffered from some brain trauma & suddenly turned into a Republican... or the DC winds have shifted so much that you've jumped ship... or some of your multiple personalities have been reshuffled... or the moby wires accidentally crossed &, mirabile dictu, we've just witnessed a fleeting moment of sincerity...

Whatever it is, I more or less agree (with some reservations), so-- re GOP prospects in 2012 & hoping for a great VP nominee-- amen, brother

When I was a pre-teen, I tried like hell to stay up until midnight and never quite made it. Now I'm 55 and I know not to try.

I am celebrating with sugar free jello and a good mystery. Oh to be me!

Anyway, Happy New Year to all, and a special thanks to Meadehouse for their exceptional work this year covering the events in Madison. There is no "big media" in Milwaukee that even came close. As a denizen of the crazy State, I look forward to more and better coverage in 2012.

Happy New Year to you two. Stayed in and enjoyed some lobster tails, but couldn't wash it down with an adult beverage because I may have to go out and salt/plow the roads. I'll just have to make it up during the Packers game tomorrow.

Went to lovely family-oriented NYE party and now headed off to bed. 2012 looks to be a great year, particularly because it looks like the Presidential choices will be between Romney and Obama. Two fine men, cut from the right cloth for leadership. Good night all!

We're gonna feed the horses, then turn in early. 2012 will very likely arrive just fine without us there to see it in, and here in the Pacific time zone it's still 2 1/2 hours away. Greetings of the new year to all at this fine site. F

Michael Haz's tradition is similar to ours. During the year, we put all of the cartoons, newspaper clippings, postcards, theater tickets and programs, and everything that we think might be important someday, and it all goes into a grocery sack. On New Year's Eve, we go through the sack, sort everything, and paste it all into a scrapbook. Anything we don't want to remember goes into the fireplace.

I welcome the New Year, which arrives amid demand letters, a spent bank account, underemployment and much trepidation about my ability to survive another year...

But tonight it was Tattinger champagne, dark rum and Mexican Coca-Colas, and pink gin & tonics, celebrated with one of my last remaining family members, who wasn't supposed to have survived 2011 but did, along with two Boston Terriers and a long-distance call from the man who may become my husband.

Tomorrow I shall cook choucroute garnie à l'Alsacienne, my take on the local custom of eating pork & sauerkraut on New Year's Day.

I'm now going to go out in the fog and quiet and smoke my pipe, and I shall try to remember what I love about life and forget what I despise.

The boy and I just got in from shoveling snow. I figured it would be easier to shovel now, while it was still slushy than later this morning, when it supposed to be colder. If that doesn't make a lot of sense, it was just above freezing while the snow fell. In fact, it's still above freezing, but the temp is supposed to drop over the next 6 hours.

I went to a chamber music concert early this evening and got home a little after 10 p.m. I had planned to watch a movie, but ended up flipping channels for a while then got drawn in by a South Park episode which took me almost up to midnight, at which point I switched to some other channels to see celebrations in various places.

At 11:01 p.m. Central (quite precisely, actually), we called collected family out East to wish them a Happy [East Coast] New Year. At midnight Central, we did Happy New Year's things here (that took quite a bit longer). At 1 a.m. Central, we took notice of folks in the most-often forgotten time zone. And pretty much at 2 a.m. Central, give-take minutes, I sent a few text messages to some folks on the West Coast who are especially precious to me. All of that is part of a great way to start out a--this--fledgling year (especially given the past few).

All best wishes for a Happy New Year to everyone, wherever you are. ()

Happy New Year Everyone. We are headed to a tailgate party at Lambeau by 9. Its snowing and blowing like mad. Oh, I wish i could stay home. The thermos of bloody marys will have to save me. And I bet i am back at the car by halftime.

"We are headed to a tailgate party at Lambeau by 9. Its snowing and blowing like mad. Oh, I wish i could stay home. The thermos of bloody marys will have to save me. And I bet i am back at the car by halftime."

Happy New Year all. I hope 2012 is great for you. We watched a kids movie. The oldest wanted to stay up til midnight, so he and I toasted the New Year with ginger ale. That's about as wild as New Years Eve has been in awhile.

What a pleasure it was to start off the new calendar sipping coffee and reading the comments to this post, feeling our shared affinity for a blog called Althouse.

Here in Madison, the sun is out, a strong wind blows, and I'm fixing to take the blogger out for a hike. May all your wishes for the election of a conservative U. S. Congress come true in the new year and with it, a return to prosperity for our entire nation.